The Senate has been bickering all day over how to confirm President Obama's nominees for various executive-branch positions. And it's worth taking a step back and asking: Why are there so many jobs that require Senate confirmation, anyway?

Janet Napolitano is leaving the department of Homeland Security. But she's not the only one who's gone. No less than 15 leadership positions across DHS are now vacant - or soon will be. And there doesn't seem to be any hurry to fill them.